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Arson is a hard crime to detect and prosecute, especially owing to the fact that the motivations for as well as methods of committing an arson can vary from one crime to another. Regardless, preliminary steps to an arson investigation include observing the fire and scene conditions in order to identify the source of fire or heat and the material ignited in order to determine if it was a set fire (an accelerant). Other important steps include exercising scene safety, preserving the fire scene, establishing security and control, and coordinating interagency activities (NIJ, 2009).

What are some signs to look for that lead you to believe that arson may have occurred?

As noted above, arson is a hard crime to detect and prosecute, especially owing to the fact that the motivations for as well as methods of committing an arson can vary from one crime to another. Arson investigators need more cooperation and better training to be able to identify signs that lead them to believe that arson may have occurred. A common sign is a fire; signs of fire like ignition devices and accelerants need to be considered. Some arsonists use match sticks to start a fire, and some experienced ones might use timing devices that allow them to exit the building before an ignition occurs. Cigarettes are also a common ignition device. Accelerants like gasoline, chemicals, and gas from kitchen stoves can also be useful in determining an arson may have occurred. Other signs also include any tampering to the electrical systems or wiring systems, besides plants and trailers (Swanson, Chamelin, Territo, & Taylor, 2012).

Domestic Terrorism

Research the Unabomber’s manifesto on the Internet and summarize something interesting from it. Provide the link to the website.

The Unabomber wrote a letter to the press claiming the bombings would stop only if they published his manifesto, which was itself mainly concerned with how society is affected by technology, predominantly modern, industrial technology. The manifesto states that the industrial revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race, particularly given that the consequences have destabilized society, made life less fulfilling, subjected human beings to indignities, and have contributed a lot to extensive psychological suffering and damage to the natural world. As a result, he argued that a revolution would trigger a complete technological breakdown as the only solution (The Washington Post, 1997).

Is there something in the manifesto that you can sympathize with or is it all just ranting?

In my opinion, the manifesto does not have very good points; the author seems to have been interested in ranting rather than suggesting practical points.

Compare Ted Kaczynski to the Boston Marathon bombers. Are there similarities?

There are several similarities between Ted Kaczynski and the Boston Marathon bombers. For instance, they all felt that their actions were justified, and this explains why they needed them to be broadcasted to others. Seemingly, they had withdrawn and separated themselves from society; otherwise, they would have felt a heightened sense of belonging the society. Considering their actions, it is also evident that they were against the changes in the United States (Reid Meloy & Yakeley, 2014).

References

NIJ. (2009). A Guide for Investigating Fire and Arson: Arriving at the Fire and/or Arson Scene. Retrieved from https://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/crime-scene/guides/fire-arson/pages/arrive.aspx